It’s an army sword. The scabbard is painted with a dark brown paint. Not the more greenish paint color normally found. The paint looks original. The scabbard is not in the best condition. There is a big dent. The reason why I bought this sword is because of the blade. I think it’s an old blade and modified to fit the army handle and scabbard. The tang has two holes and the tang is signed. Unfortunately, the signature is hard to read. Especially for an untrained eye. Maybe you guys can help.

Hello Ed,
Nice sword.....To me the dent adds to it's character. I have owned swords with a similar dent in the saya and wonder if the dent is caused by railway carriage doors ? Many German dress daggers have dents and these have long been attributed to rail carriage doors....!
Regards,
Paul..

Thanks for your reply. I had never heard about the dents caused by railway carriage doors. It’s a nice story. I agree, the dent adds character to the sword.

I recently bought ‘The connoisseurs book of Japanese swords’. Reading this book makes me convince to buy the sword. I’m now trying to determine the age of the sword. This is difficult for a novice like me. My best guess is around 1500. Maybe I’m totally wrong I must learn a lot.

Hello Ed,
With that pitted,blackened nakago and nice lines looks like a good koto blade...For a fighting sword 64cm is a nice length so the blade should be nicely balanced...Well done,nice find...
Regards,
Paul.